Treating apparatus



Feb. 23 1926.

A. H. GALLAGHER TREATING APPARATUS Original Filed y 1924 T0 4.6. CONNECT/04 Patented Feb. 23, 1926.

UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED HUG-H GALLAGHER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO TANNERS IROD- UCTS COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

TREATING APPARATUS.

Original appIication filed May 24, 1924, Serial No. 715,764. Divided and this application filed liay 29,

' Serial No. 33,769, a

To all whom it may concem:

Be it known that I, ALFRED H. GALLA- GHER, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented certain new .anduseful Improvements in Treating Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and

exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to an apparatus for subjecting materials to the action of a treating agent, and particularly to an apparatus for subjecting animal tissue or fiber products, such as hair, feathers and the like, to the action of ozone or ozonized air. The present application is a division of application Serial No. 715,764, filed May 24, 1924.

It is a well known fact that a strong and characteristic odor emanates from animal tissue and fiber, particularly cattle hair, even after the usual cleaning operations, and after careful study and analysis, this strong and characteristic odor of such material has been found to be .due to the presence of minute quantities of musk-like or fatty substance on the hair and other substances above referred to, which is not and cannot be removed by the ordinary methods of liming and washmg. v v This musk-like or fatty substance can be removed by thoroughly washing with soap and hot water, or by the use of a solvent such as benzol or ether, but these methods are not entirely-successful either from a practical or economical standpoint, as they tend to destroy qualities in the material necessary to its commercial value. This is especially true where resiliency and loftiness is desired, such as in the manufacture of felts and similar products.

This odor can be destroyed in an economical and practical Wayby treating the odorous material in the present apparatus in the presence of ozone or ozonized air.

An object of the present invention is to provide means for subjecting the material being treated to the action of the treating agent while said material is in motion, so that intimate contact will occur between the material being treated and the agent.

Another object of this invention is the the material being treated is agitated and the portion thereof which passes immediately adjacent the inlet for the treating agent, and which is therefore subjected to intimate contact therewith, will be discharged from the apparatus, while the remaining material will be agitated for further treatment.

Ozone is a colorless gas having strong oxidizing properties and is produced from the oxygen in the air by a high voltage electrical discharge. The best results have been obtained in the production of ozone by a silent brush discharge through an air gap, or through a dielectric, such as glass or mica. Apparently the action of such a discharge is to break up the oxygen in the air into atoms, which reunite in a somewhat unstable triatomic molecule, and this triatomic oxygen or ozone readily gives up its extra atoms of oxygen when brought into contact with oxidizable substances.

When ozone or ozonized air is brought in.- to contact for a short time with cattle hair or the other materials having thereon musklike, fatty or organic compounds that give rise to the objectionable characteristic odor, said compounds are oxidized and broken up into more simple odorless-substances. This change is permanent in character and is as complete as the burning of wood to ashes, and no treatment of the ozonized material will bring back the characteristic odor. Furthermore, the material will not develop the odor again as a result of long standing, unless it is exposed to the presence of similar untreated material, in which case it may absorb some of the odor given up by the raw material.

The physical properties of the material are not changed as a result of being treated with ozone, and a clean completely deodorized material is successfully produced, at a very low cost at an average exposure of to .pass for the purpose of transmitting about twenty minutes,

The single figure of the drawing represents a longitudinal, sectional View through an apparatus made in accordance with the present invention.

Referring to the drawin in detail, 1 indicates the ozonizing cham er which is rec tangular in design and consists of vertical corner supports 2, a floor 3, a cover 4, side walls 5, and front and rear walls 6 and 7 respectively. The side walls 5 extend from the ,cover downwardly to the floor 3, while the front and rear wells 6 and 7 extend downwardly from the cover but terminate above the floor to provide an opening 8 between the latter and the lower edge 9 of the front wall 6, and an opening 10 between the lower edge 11 of the rear wall 7 and the floor 3. These openings are provided for a purpose which will be hereinafter more fully described.

Leading to the chamber 1 from the picker mechanism (not shown in the drawing), is a pneumatic conveyor 12 for feeding the material to be treated. The conveyor is secured in the upper portion of the rear wall 7 and opens into the chamber at 13.

A bafiie plate 14 is positioned in the upper portion of the chamber 1 near the front wall 6, directly opposite the opening 13, for the purpose of preventing the accumulation of material upona screened opening 15 in the front wall 6, and to cause the material to fall downwardly to the lower portion of the chamber.'- It will be seen that the excess air within the chamber 1 will be permitted to escape through the screened openin 15.

An ozonizer 16- of the silent brush discharge type is contained in a conduit 17 which is substantially rectangular in cross section. High voltage current is supplied to the ozonizer; 16 from a transformer 18 to which current may be supplied from the usual electrical installation.

The conduit 17 is reduced in cross section at 19 and made circular, so that the walls thereof will closely encircle a diskfan 20 secured upon a shaft 21, which is rotatably mounted in a front bearing 22 and a rear bearing 23. Therear bearing 23 is arranged upon the outer wall of an elbow 24 formed in the conduit 17. The shaft 21' extends through. the bearing 23 and has mounted on the outerend thereof a pulley wheel 25, overwhicha belt 26 is adapted power. from any suitable source to the diskfan 20. The opposite end of the conduit is secured-in the wall 7 near the lower edge thereof directlybelow the conveyor 12, and opens at 26'. into the chamber 1.

A horizontally disposed link .loelt conveyor 27, formed with cross bars 28 .hav-

ing a series of spikes 29 projecting there- .1, and also passes over a similar sprocket wheel 31 rotatably secured to the rear corner supports 2 adjacent the floor 3. Keyed to a shaft 32 on which the sprocket wheel 30 is mounted, is'a pulley wheel 33 through which power is transmitted to the conveyor 27 by means of a belt 34, which is, 1n turn, connected to any suitable source of power.

The conveyor is arranged with its upper flight within the chamber 1, and when the conveyor is set in motion it passes through the opening 10, across the floor 3 and out of the chamber 1 through the opening 8. The opening 10 is only large enough to permit the movement of the conveyor therethrough, while the opening 8 is made rela' tively larger to permit the conveyor to carry with it a portion of the material being treated within the chamber 1.

A ,scale ho-pper 35 is arranged below the front portion of the conveyor 27 where said conveyor passes from the chamber 1, and is provided with hinged bottom members 36 which are adapted to be held position by a ro e-pull 37.

When the heig 1t of the building in which the apparatus is contained is not prohibitive, the roof of-said building may be employed as the cover 4. i

in closed In operating the present apparatus, the

'ozonizer 16 is energized and the fan 20 set in operation, whereby air is drawn into the conduit around the elbow 24 to the fan 20 and then blown through the ozonizer 16 and into the chamber 1 through the opening 26". From this it will be noted that ozonized air is being continually blown into the chamber.

the opening 26. As soon as the material.

begins to accumulate upon the conveyor 27, the latter is put into operation whereby the material is caused to travel toward the front wall 6 of the chamber 1, and a smallport'ion thereof is removed from the chamber through the opening 8. When material which is intended to befelted is being treated it passes throughthe opening and is delivered into the scale hopper 35, and may pass therefrom to a felting apparatus of ordinary construction when the hinged bottom 36 is opened after aL suflicient quantity of mamaterial being formed into a resilient odorless felt. It will be noted that; tl1e lower portion; of the bulk of the material will be moved toward the front wall ti when the conveyor'is operated, and only' aa-portion of this bulk can be passed througliifthe opening 8, thefiremainder being tumbled ffirst up: ward-1y to the top of the flu'fi'yilmass, back! wardlyhtoward the rear wall 7, and then downwardly past the opening 26' to. the conveyor. In this way, that part of the. bulk which passes nearest'the opening 26 iscompletely deodorized and as it passes still further downwardly, itfis caughtby the spikes 29 directly as the" conveyor 27 enters the chamber 1, and this portion is carried by the conveyor across the lloor,3

, and passes fromthe chamber, 1' intofithehopper The remainden-of-thematerial which did not pass closely to ,the opening 26 abuts againstthe front wall Gabov'e the opening 8 and is againvcaused to tumble through the circuit outlined above. operation is continued until. all of the material is completelydeodoriz'ed. The surplus air which is admitted to the chamber 1 is permitted to pass therefrom through the screened. opening 15.

This apparatus has been designed particularly to meet the requirements of the detailed method described in application Serial No. 715,764, but it is to be understood that the apparatus may be advantageously employed in connection with other methods.

Various changes in the details of the construction may be resorted to within. the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

What I claim is: 1. In a treating apparatus, the combination of a chamber, means for delivering material to be treated in'a current of gas to the upper portion of the chamber, means arranged below the material delivering means for causing the material to circulate in the chamber, and means for delivering a gas in the path of the circulating material.

2. In a treating apparatus, the combination of, a chamber, means for delivering material to be treated in a current of gas to the upper portion of the chamber, means arranged below the material delivering means for removing a portion of the material from the chamber and forcausing the remaining material to circulate therein. and means for delivering gas in the path of the circulating material.

3. In a treating apparatus, the combination of a chamberinwhich the materialto be treated is adapted to circulate, means for delivering material to the chamber, means for delivering a gas in the path through which the material is adapted to circulate, and a conveyor for causing some of the material to' be discharged from the chamber This after it has moved past the means for delivering the gas and for causing the remain ing material to circulate within the chamber.

4. In an apparatus, the combination of a substantially rectangular chamber having aclosed bottom, side, front and rear walls, an opening throughgwhich the material tobe treated is admitted to the chamber, an opening-through which a treating agent is ad;

mitted to "the chamber, spaces between the lower edges of the front and rear walls and i the bottom of the chamber, a conveyor adj acent to and adapted to traverse the bottom of the chamber andpass through said spaces for rei'noving a portion of the treated ma-v terial and for causing the remaining material to be further, chamber.

agitated within the tion of a cham er, a conveyor arranged at .the lower end of the chamber and adapted to traverse the same, said conveyor being spaced from the lower edge of one side wall of the chamber, whereby some of the material in the chamber will be carried with the conveyor and discharged between said conveyor and the lower edge of said side wall, while the remaining material which is moved by the conveyor will abut against the side wall and be agitated for further treatment.

6. In a treating apparatus, the combination of .achamber, a conveyor arranged at the lower end of the chamber in spaced relation to the lower edge of one side wall thereof, said conveyor being adapted to traverse the chamber in the direction of said side wall and being provided with projecting pins for engaging a portion of thematerial in the chamber, whereby some of the material in the chamber willbe carried with the conveyor and discharged from the chamber below said lower edge of the side wall, while the remaining material which is moved by the conveyor will abut against theside wall and be agitated for further treatment.

7 In a treating apparatus, the combination of a chamber, a pneumatic conveyor for feeding the material to be treated into the upper portion of the chamber, means below the level of the pneumatic conveyor for admitting atreating agent, a filter for permitting the escape of air but preventing the passage therethrough of the :material being treated, a battle plate arrangedin front of the filter to prevent the material being blown directly upon the same, and for deflecting the travel of the material being treated, so

that it will pass adjacent the treating'agent admitting means, and a conveyor for removing the material which passes. immediately adjacent the treating agent admitting means.

8."In anoz'onizingapparatus, the combina- I feeding the material to be treated into the .tion ofa chamber, a pneumatic conveyor for in communication with the chamber at a point below the level of the pneumatic conveyor for admitting ozonized air, a filter for permitting the escape of air but preventing the passage therethrough of the material being treated, a battle plate arranged in front of the filter to prevent the material being blown directly upon the same, and for de fleeting the travel of the material to thttt it i v o I I Will pass adjacent the ozonlzer 1n commun1cation with the chamber, and a conveyor for removing the ozonized material after it has passed immediately adjacent said communication.

9. In an ozonizing apparatus, the combination of a chamber, a pneumatic conveyor for feeding the material to be treated into the. 'upper portion of the chamber, an ozonizer in communication with the chamber at a point below the level of the pneumatic conveyor, air propelling means for forcing air through the o zonizer and the resulting ozonized air into the chamber, a filter for permitting the escape of air but preventing the passage therethrough of the material being treated, a baffle plate arranged in front of the filter to prevent the material being blown directly upon the same and for deflecting the level of the pneumatic conveyor for admitting a treating agent, a filter for permittin'g the escape of the air but preventing tlttnttttt It ttptttti lftlttlltll t0 [t0 .UWUI. tttl't of one side wall thereof, said conveyor being adapted to traverse the chamber in the direction of said side wall and being provided with projecting pins for engaging a portion of the material, whereby some of the material in the chamber will be carried with the conveyor and discharged from the chamber below said lower edge of the side wall, while the remaining material which is moved by the conveyor will abut against the side wall and be agitated for further treatment.

11. In a treating apparatus, the combination of a chamber, a pneumatic conveyor for feeding the material to be treated into the upper portion of the chamber, means below the level of the pneumatic conveyor for admitting a treating agent, a conveyor arranged above the floor of the chamber and adapted to traverse the same, a plurality of walls ofthe-cha'mber terminating in spaced relation to the floor to provide space through which the conveyor passes, the wall below which the conveyor passes from the chamber being spaced a distance from the floor which permits a portion of the material to move with the conveyor and pass from the chamber therewith, while the remaining material is agitated within the chamber.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ALFRED HUGH GALLAGHER. 

